Clang! Clang! Clang!...
A series of clear, crisp metallic clashing sounds rang out continuously. Every single one of those black spears was blocked by the Heart Pearl.
"That seems to be a treasure powered by Mental Force, yet it so easily repelled my attack!"
The Soul Race member was both shocked and suspicious.
Ye Yunfei took a step forward. Extending a hand, he used a bodily technique that caused it to continuously enlarge, grasping Elder Lu's physical body in a single swipe.
"Kid, what do you think you're doing? Trying to steal this flesh body from me?"
The Soul Race member, still lurking within the depths of Elder Lu's Soul Sea, felt equal parts panic and rage at Ye Yunfei's actions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!...
Another series of distinct clashings erupted. The dozen-plus black spears were all sent flying back.
"This Heart Pearl packs quite a punch," Hun Lao remarked.
"Utilizing Mental Force energy to combat Soul Force energy inherently holds an advantage. Moreover, this treasure was something collected within Tianmu Shenjun's cultivation cave. Do you really think it's something simple?" Ye Yunfei replied with a smile.
Boom!
Ye Yunfei suddenly sensed a massive black lotus flower materializing within his own Soul Sea in a bizarre, ghostly manner. It immediately began to frantically siphon away his Soul Force energy.
Ye Yunfei's expression darkened. Without hesitation, he channeled his Mental Force through the Heart Pearl to unleash the Heart Sword technique, slashing viciously towards the black lotus.
At the same time, the Soul-Nourishing Tree within his Soul Sea also erupted, sending out tens of thousands of emerald-green branches. These transformed into countless green long swords that continuously stabbed and assaulted the black lotus.
Swiftly, one green branch after another pierced into the lotus, beginning an unceasing drain of its energy.
"A Soul-Nourishing Tree!
Kid... you actually possess a Soul-Nourishing Tree? How is this possible?
This is a sacred tree of our race! I've searched high and low for so many years without finding even a trace of one... yet you actually have one in your possession?"
As the Soul Race member clearly perceived the Soul-Nourishing Tree within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, it was so simultaneously shocked and overjoyed that it cried out involuntarily.
"Hahaha...
Excellent! Wonderful!
It seems my luck has truly arrived. To have encountered a Soul-Nourishing Tree... it belongs to me now."
The Soul Race member stared at the Soul-Nourishing Tree within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea with a greedy expression.
By this time, the black lotus within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea had already been completely drained of energy. A single sweep of the Heart Sword cleanly cleaved it in two.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
The next instant, Ye Yunfei felt shadowy figures flashing continuously before his inner vision. Nine small black figures then appeared within his Soul Sea.
"This fellow actually managed to refine and manifest nine clones composed of Soul Power," Ye Yunfei recognized with a single glance that these nine little black figures were essentially nine Clones of the Soul Race member.
Of course, these nine black figures could be considered nine Soul Bodies.
Once they materialized within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, they immediately formed a cohesive formation and swarmed towards Ye Yunfei's own Soul Body.
"This must be quite a powerful Soul Formation," Ye Yunfei thought to himself, inwardly startled as he observed the nine black figures advancing to surround him.
Concentrating his will, Ye Yunfei once again used the Heart Pearl to unleash the Heart Sword.
The Heart Sword technique empowered by the Heart Pearl was noticeably stronger. It directly cleaved the nine black figures in two.
However, what surprised Ye Yunfei was that after being split apart, the nine black figures swiftly reformed, and the energy they used for recovery was siphoned directly from the Soul Force energy within his own Soul Sea.
In other words, whenever Ye Yunfei injured these nine black figures, it was ultimately his own energy being depleted.
The Soul Formation formed by these nine little figures was somewhat insidious and strange. Vaguely, Ye Yunfei could feel it beginning to seal and constrain his Soul Sea.
Even Ye Yunfei's own Soul Body started to feel its movements becoming slightly cumbersome.
"I must expel these nine Clones," Ye Yunfei thought, glancing at the black figures with a hardened resolve.
The Soul-Nourishing Tree then shot forth even more of its emerald-green branches, launching assaults against the nine figures.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Suddenly, the nine little black figures began consecutively manifesting various Soul Force energy artifacts. Once activated, these treasures erupted with waves of powerful formation energy, bombarding Ye Yunfei's Soul Body.
Ye Yunfei immediately activated over a dozen Soul Force artifacts that he kept concealed within his own Soul Body to block the artifacts summoned by the black figures.
And so, a terrifyingly intense battle erupted directly within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
If a battle of this ferocity were to happen within the Soul Sea of any other Heavenly God, it would have long since shattered their entire sea of consciousness into pieces.
But Ye Yunfei's own Soul Force was exceptionally powerful. Coupled with his overwhelmingly robust physical constitution, he was fully capable of enduring this level of combat intensity.
"Kid, truly unexpected. You're merely a Heavenly God, yet you possess such potent Soul Force energy. You even specialize in Mental Force techniques. On top of that, your physical body quality is also this formidable. Truly commendable.
I've taken a liking to this body of yours. Henceforth, I shall use it to tread this world.
The Soul-Nourishing Tree will also fall into my hands.
Kid, encountering you is indeed a stroke of fortune for me. You are the beginning of my rise."
While probing Ye Yunfei's state, the Soul Race member spoke with evident agitation.
"Is that so?
But it's equally possible that encountering me marks the beginning of your own misfortune," Ye Yunfei retorted coldly.
"Hahaha...
Kid, you overestimate yourself far too much. I haven't even begun to exert my full strength yet," the Soul Race member couldn't help but roar with laughter upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
Ye Yunfei then sensed another nine little black figures violently forcing their way into his Soul Sea.
"Let me have a go at him," Huang Shang suddenly spoke.
Immediately after, a vast, surging tide of ghosts swarmed into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
The number of ghosts was immense. They exuded a terrifying aura of spectral energy and emitted bone-chilling, piercing shrieks.
This massive host of ghosts instantly charged and swarmed around them, tightly encircling the eighteen black figures.
These ghosts arrayed themselves into a large-scale ghost formation, conjuring various macabre and nightmarish illusions that continuously rushed towards the eighteen black figures.
"There seems to be a ghost cultivator intervening!" the Soul Race member exclaimed in astonishment.
With Huang Shang's assistance, Ye Yunfei immediately felt the pressure on his Soul Sea and his Soul Body lessen considerably.
"As expected of the Soul Race. They can actually pose a threat to your Soul Sea and Soul Body," Hun Lao couldn't help but remark with admiration.
"Indeed. The Soul Race has been a famously powerful and fearsome race in the Chaotic Void Sea since ancient times. Their reputation is well-earned," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
Having already grasped Elder Lu's body in his palm, Ye Yunfei now steadied himself. He directly employed various means to begin suppressing and sealing Elder Lu's physical form.
Simultaneously, he unleashed a barrage of powerful Mental Force martial techniques, commencing a frenzied assault on the Soul Race member's main consciousness.
Whoosh!...
Suddenly, the Soul Race member waved a hand, flinging a massive amount of crimson threads towards Ye Yunfei. Each thread was composed of condensed, refined Soul Force energy and radiated a sinister aura.
"This is the Puppet Soul Thread secret technique!"
Ye Yunfei's eyes narrowed sharply as he instantly recognized the Soul Force technique employed by the Soul Race member.